Low end VFDs

Status
Not open for further replies.

broadgage

Senior Member
Location
London, England
Would anything other than regular workwear be required ?
I am aware of the hazards of arc flash in peforming some types of work, but would not expect the set up of a VFD to be hazardous in this respect.

IME setting is normally via a keypad on the outer case of the equipment and would not expose one to risk of arc flash or contact with energised conductors.

In many cases the controls will be adjusted by the end user of the equipment, who is unlikely to be an electrician or to be wearing any special PPE.
Here in the UK the voltage is only slightly lower, at about 415, and I dont take any special precautions.
 

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
In many cases the controls will be adjusted by the end user of the equipment, who is unlikely to be an electrician or to be wearing any special PPE.
I think that may be true for some commercial operations.
I don't know of any industrial site that doesn't require as a minimum basic PPE including footwear, high visibility jacket or waistcoat, and safety glasses. A hard hat or a bump cap may also be required. Ear defenders too.
Most require a "safety passport" to validate that you have undertaken (and passed with a 97% or better score) the written tests on a nationally approved course. Two intense days of written tests the first go round and a mandatory refresher every three years.
Each site visit requires a risk assessment and method statement. Not so easy to control for a breakdown at 02:00 but we have standard forms that get completed by hand at the time.
Then there are the customer in-house inductions that you have to keep up to date.

And, as a company, to maintain our various certifications, we have to document everything and we are assessed at one or two year intervals depending on the nature of the assessment. We normally score quite highly with above 90% in all categories.

For sure, it needs attention to detail. We, meaning me I suppose, would get blasted out of the water if we did not have documented risk assessments in place and arc flash calculations for every piece of equipment that goes through our test bay. The documentation may be mostly generic but it will detail specific information for that project.
We have to show what risks were identified and what steps were taken to mitigate those risks. You can't always eliminate them but "all reasonable measures" must be taken and shown to have been taken.

As you may have gathered by now, I take safety very seriously.
 

mxslick

Senior Member
Location
SE Idaho
Would anything other than regular workwear be required ?
I am aware of the hazards of arc flash in peforming some types of work, but would not expect the set up of a VFD to be hazardous in this respect.

IME setting is normally via a keypad on the outer case of the equipment and would not expose one to risk of arc flash or contact with energised conductors.

In many cases the controls will be adjusted by the end user of the equipment, who is unlikely to be an electrician or to be wearing any special PPE.
Here in the UK the voltage is only slightly lower, at about 415, and I dont take any special precautions.

So does this discussion now mean we need to pass laws and regulations to force the end users to wear full PPE when setting the parameters on a VFD?:roll:

What next? PPE to plug in your power drill? Or your charger for your phone?

There is being safe and being ridiculous and guess which side of the fence this is on?

IF adjusting parameters is done WITHOUT removing ANY covers over live terminals (and I am not aware of ANY VFD's that require you to do so, even the cheap ones) then I frankly see NO need whatsoever for any PPE other than the normal work wear.

Here's a novel thought: what does the manufacturer's instructions say? Do those instructions require PPE for setting parameters?

And if you're purchasing such cheap drives that they have a propensity to fail violently when changing parameters then you've got bigger issues to deal with.

See post #71 of THIS THREAD for a refreshing viewpoint on this kind of thing.
 
Last edited:

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
The safest solution to this problem is to include an Ethernet or other communications adapter that extends outside the enclosure for troubleshooting and parameter setting.

Of mount the keypad in the door of the enclosure.

My personal opinion is that basically anytime the enclosure door is open, anyone working inside it needs appropriate PPE.

In any case, it is usually the most cost effective way to handle setting up drives these days anyway.
 

broadgage

Senior Member
Location
London, England
When I refered to "no special PPE" I was presuming that workers would be wearing normal workwear for the workplace which would likely include coveralls, safety shoes/boots, and perhapd head and eye protection.
But I would not expect arc flash resistant, electricly insulating or otherwise specialist PPE to be required, just normal workwear.

If live contacts are exposed, then more careful and detailed consideration would be required.
However all the VFDs that I have seen have the controls external, even cheap ones.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top